


Adventures Of The Undead

by chaoticrandomness



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Rewrite, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-09-18 05:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9370178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticrandomness/pseuds/chaoticrandomness
Summary: Akamatsu Kaede joins a criminal rehabilitation program and finds herself trapped in a game of mutual killing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Before we begin, thank you to zenonaa and SiaCatGirl for letting me bounce ideas off of you and beta-reading my work.

There are fourteen bodies in the entrance hallway. 

 

_ They... probably killed each other within seconds of meeting each other…  _

 

Mob mentality is incredibly powerful, and murderers are more likely to act upon their base instincts than the rest of humanity. However, mob mentality tends to be strongest in groups of over a hundred people… 

 

_ What were you expecting?! Any group of ordinary humans can turn on one another with significant motive, and you brought fourteen criminals into this building!  _

 

“Don’t worry, they’re only knocked out,” a voice says, as someone wraps a blindfold around my face. 

 

“Who are you?!” 

 

_ How could someone break into this prison?!  _

 

_ You brought fifteen people into this experiment, not fourteen. In order to accurately prove your theory that murderers with some sort of talent are capable of redemption, you in brought one normal student to serve as a control…  _

 

“Don’t you remember me?” the voice asks, and I don’t remember them. I don’t even know who any of the subjects are beyond their names, talents, and crimes… 

 

_ If you go against a murderer, they are more likely to kill you. The best thing for you to do is to keep silent and go along with everything they do.  _

 

“Oh, I hope you enjoy your time here. This is what you’re supposed to do in these sorts of scenarios, right?” they ask, and they seem to be maniacally laughing… 

 

_ This… person is clearly psychologically disturbed, and incapable of following social norms. They are also a murderer, albeit one who was able to control their baser impulses enough to develop some sort of talent…  _

 

The blindfold is lifted from my face. 

 

Before I can see the face of my attacker, a noose tightens around my neck. 

 

There’s a crowd of people below me, but they’re all aiming guns at my body. There is no way to escape from this, and I don’t know if I’d rather die from a firing squad or a lynch mob…

 

_ I’m… they found out who I was. I physically resemble a student, but studying murderers isn’t enough to hide myself among them and counsel them…  _

 

_ Why did I even expect to succeed?  _


	2. Chapter 2

_ Where am I?  _

 

I’m lying in the middle of a hallway, and there are fourteen people around me. I don’t remember exactly how I got here, but I had to have come here for some reason… 

 

_ Oh… right.  _

 

_ I signed up for that criminal rehabilitation program because they needed a counselor, and I probably fainted out of nerves.  _

 

_ I hope I can help these people…  _

 

Everyone around me is standing up, except for a pale boy in black. 

 

“Are you alright?” I ask as I rush towards him, for if he fainted as well, he’s probably going to want someone to help him. 

 

_ He’s… just because he’s a criminal doesn’t mean that he’s irredeemable, and he also signed up for a rehabilitative program, so he probably wants to better himself…  _

 

“...are you a pianist?” he asks, as he opens his eyes. 

 

“How did you know that?!” 

 

_ I’ve been on TV before, but they’ve only shown my concerts and I don’t think that I talk while performing…  _

 

“Just a lucky guess.” he answers, as he gestures towards my skirt, which is filled with music notes. 

 

_ Oh… I forgot I owned these skirts.  _

 

_ I really hope grabbing the one with Rachmaninoff's Elegy printed on it isn’t a sign that we’re all going to die…  _

 

“Anyways, I’m Akamatsu Kaede, and you are?” I ask, for my skirt probably isn’t an omen of doom and I can’t get stuck in my head if I’m here to help others. 

 

“Saihara Shuuichi…” he answers, as he grabs my hand to hoist himself off of the floor. I’m about to say something, but he’s staring at the wall and looks like he’s about to collapse in on himself. 

 

_ He’s probably just really shy… and I would be too, if I was in his position, so I shouldn’t blame him for that.  _

 

“You’d probably be better off introducing yourself to literally anyone else here, Akamatsu.” 

 

* * *

 

_ Why?  _

 

_ I mean, if he signed up for a criminal rehabilitation program, he’s probably guilty about what he did… but wouldn’t he know that everyone else here is also a repentant criminal?  _

 

I’m about to ask Saihara why he has such a low opinion of himself, but he seems to have disappeared. Still, I probably should introduce myself to everyone here, for if I’m going to be counseling all of these people, I need to know all of them. 

 

The nearest people seem to be a ridiculously short guy and a blue-haired girl with glasses.

 

_ Have I… wait, isn’t he that tennis player who got arrested for being a serial killer?!  _

 

_ Okay, if I’m right, he’s here because he wants to become a better person, and I shouldn’t let my preconceptions of anyone cloud my interactions with them.  _

 

_ Besides, it’s probably a good idea if we all get to know one another, so everyone knows that they’re not alone.  _

 

“Um, I’m Akamatsu Kaede, and I think we should all introduce ourselves!” I yell, and everyone turns towards me. 

 

“I think that’s a great idea.” a guy with spiky purple hair says. “My name’s Momota Kaito, and once I get out of here, I want to go into space.” 

 

“It’s just like men to hijack women’s ideas, isn’t it?” a girl with hair in two long braids asks as she walks towards me. 

 

“No, I think he was trying to reassure me…” I answer, but she seems to have gotten into an argument with the short red-haired girl next to her.

 

“Tenko, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t introduce yourself!” 

 

“Himiko, Tenko doesn’t want to introduce herself to any men.”

 

_ Okay, so the short one is Himiko and the one with the braids is Tenko, and they probably knew each other before coming here?  _

 

_ It’d probably be beneficial to have a friend with you during your recovery…  _

 

“Anyways, I’m Yumeno Himiko, and I can teleport us all out of here!” the red-haired girl exclaims, as she pulls a magic wand out of nowhere and brandishes it at the ceiling. “Aw… I didn’t have enough HP, but I  _ can  _ do magic!” 

 

“Magic does not exist.” a silver-haired guy with blue eyes says, but he doesn’t introduce himself. 

 

“Is it common for humans to swear on things that don’t exist?” a wild-looking guy with long hair asks, and no one answers. “I’m Gokuhara Gonta, and I’m sorry if I said something impolite….” 

 

_ No, I don’t think you’re rude, it’s just that your question was a bit odd. But we’re all going to recover together, and the first step towards that is for all of us to realize that we’re not alone.  _

 

“Angie thinks that the duty of an artist is to create things that don’t exist!” a dark-skinned blonde girl exclaims, pulling me out of my thoughts. 

 

“Well, I’m an inventor, and my duty is to build dreams!” another blonde girl in pink shouts. “My name is Iruma Miu, and I  _ will  _ create the future with my bare hands!” 

 

_ She reminds me a bit of my older sister… and I can’t let myself be distracted and forget anyone’s name.  _

 

_ I need to focus on the present.  _

 

“Ah… I’m Shirogane Tsumugi, and I think it’s really cool how people can build things from their imagination…. I can only copy other people.” the blue-haired girl near me says. 

 

“My name is Toujou Kirumi, and I don’t think it’s professional to discuss other topics during introductions.” a girl in a maid uniform says, and Shirogane’s expression falters. 

 

_ No, you don’t have to hide away from us, we’re not going to hurt you… and I think it’s better for us to all be equals to one another than for any of us to be elevated…  _

 

“I’m Hoshi Ryouma, and I used to play tennis…” the short guy near me says, so I  _ was  _ right about who he was. 

 

“And I’m Ouma Kokichi! Since you guys told me all of this information about yourselves, I know the best way to murder each of you!” a creepy-looking guy in a military uniform exclaims, before he runs out of the hallway like a madman. 

 

_ I mean… he’s going to get better. Everyone here is going to get better, and I can’t give up on him before we’ve even begun the rehabilitation program.  _

 

* * *

 

“Um… is that everyone?” Momota asks. 

 

“There are three people in this room who have not introduced themselves.” the silver-haired guy answers. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a dark-haired girl and a green-haired guy standing in the corner of the room, as if they’re trying to hide. 

 

_ No one’s going to judge you… wait, doesn’t he look familiar?  _

 

“Rantarou?!” I exclaim, as I sprint towards him. 

 

_ Why are you here?! What happened to you?! I know we didn’t keep in touch after you moved away, but I hope you’re okay…  _

 

“Uupuppupupupupupuuuu…” 

 

There’s a loudspeaker right above my head, and someone’s laughing into it. It’s probably Ouma, but the voice doesn’t sound anything like his… 

 

“My name is Monobear, and I am the headmaster of Gifted Inmates Academy! Your rehabilitation begins today!”

 

_ Wait, the letter I got said that I would be working with fourteen criminals, and that we would be the only people in the building. This doesn’t make sense…  _

 

“Just kidding! Actually, I’m going to play a game of mutual killing with you! If no one dies in the next two days, I’m going to flood the vents with poisonous gas and kill all of you!” 

 

_ What?!  _

 

_ Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for these people, Kaede?  _

 

“If you need a body-” Hoshi begins, before the loudspeaker cuts him off. 

 

“If you commit suicide, I’m going to flood the vents with poisonous gas right after you die!”

 

* * *

 

_ So… there has to be a way to get everyone out without playing his game. There has to be…  _

 

“I’m Amami Rantarou, and you can trust me! I’m not at all suspicious!” Rantarou exclaims, and he is smiling, but his voice is filled with desperation and fear. 

 

_ What happened to him?! When we were younger, he was so fearless… I thought he could survive anything.  _

 

_ You found him in a criminal rehabilitation program! What were you expecting? _

 

“In my experience, the more adamantly someone claims to be innocent, the more likely they are to be guilty.” the dark-haired girl next to him quips. 

 

_ Okay… I’m probably biased because I knew Rantarou, but the worst thing he’s ever done is break into one of my concerts on April Fool’s Day and pretend to be a ghost. He doesn’t strike me as the sort of person who would force us to kill each other, even if he is a criminal…  _

 

“How exactly do you know this?” Momota asks. 

 

“My name is Harukawa Maki, and I run an orphanage.” the girl answers. 

 

_ That’s an incredibly cynical attitude to have towards children, especially those without parents… _

 

“Anyways, none of you are allowed to leave this building, so don’t plan your escapes.” the silver-haired guy says, and his voice sounds monotone and mechanical. 

 

“You aren’t the mastermind, are you?” Tenko asks, as she grabs his arm. “It’s just the sort of thing-” 

 

“No. I am Ki-bo, and I have been programmed to act as the guard for this project. If you try to escape, I will kill you.” 

 

_ So we have a robotic guard… does he count as a criminal or not? If not, that means that someone’s missing…  _

 

_ I don’t know if I’d prefer for the missing person to be dead or the mastermind.  _

 

“Does that mean I can take you over and use you to get my soda?” Ouma asks, as he suddenly materializes from out of nowhere with a giant bottle. 

 

“They’re working on sapient robots, and it’s against international law to enslave a sapient being!” Iruma exclaims. 

 

“I want to take over Japan; do you think I  _ care  _ about the law?!” 

 

_ That’s lovely… he’s redeemable. Everyone is redeemable.  _

 

_ Once we get out of here, I’m going to tell my sister about the sapient robots. She’ll love them.  _


	3. Chapter 3

I don’t know how I was able to get any sleep, or even make it to my bedroom without collapsing. 

 

_ Maybe it’s kind of like how I get the most sleep the day before my concerts? Except I’ve never been worried about dying during a concert.  _

 

_ I need to talk to Rantarou…  _

 

All of our bedrooms are in the same hallway, and each door is adorned with an image of the room’s occupant. His room is directly across from mine, so I change out of my pajamas and start banging on his door like a madman. 

 

_ If I break down your door, I’m really sorry… but I need to talk to you.  _

 

_ What happened to you? Why are you here? Why did you move away two years ago? Do you want me to help you?  _

 

_ Are you okay, Rantarou?  _

 

“...is everything alright, Akamatsu?” 

 

I turn away from my attempt at breaking down Rantarou’s door, and realize that Saihara’s standing next to me. 

 

_ If someone’s noticed that I’ve been trying to break down this door, then Rantarou either really doesn’t want to talk to me or left his room before I woke up.  _

 

_ I hope it’s the latter…  _

 

“I’m fine.” I answer, as I walk towards him. 

 

_ You are aware that everyone in this building could die tomorrow?! How have you accepted that? _

 

_ It’s… the same reason why I don’t panic over concerts and auditions, I suppose. I don’t think about them until they’re imminent, which stops me from being nervous…  _

 

“...um, if you wanted to practice, there’s a piano here.” Saihara says, as if trying to reassure me. 

 

“Could you show me where it is?” I blurt out. Yesterday was the first time in five years I didn’t practice, and I don’t want to lose all of my ability to play. 

 

_ Why is that going to matter, when you could die?  _

 

_ I’ll figure out a way to get everyone out, okay? There has to be some loophole in his rules…  _

 

* * *

 

Saihara leads me through a maze of hallways, and even though we’re standing next to each other, he looks like he’s melting into the walls and hasn’t said a single thing. 

 

_ He’s… probably really shy, okay? For him, just talking to someone he doesn’t know is probably an achievement.  _

 

_ Still, it is kind of awkward…  _

 

Before I can say anything, he opens a door and unveils a massive grand piano. 

 

“How did you find this?!” I exclaim, as I rush through the door and sit down on the piano-bench. “Thank you!” 

 

_ Did this building have a piano before, or did the guy who started up the program bring it here for me? If it’s the latter, that’s really… and why does any of this matter when you’re going to die tomorrow?  _

 

_ My death isn’t inevitable. And if I’m going to play, I need to be focused…  _

 

“If you… really want to know, it’s because I can’t sleep.” Saihara remarks, as he begins to walk out the door. “I don’t think there’s any sheet music here, and I’m sorry-” 

 

“I can play without music.” I answer, as I place my hands on the keys. “If you want to listen, you can stay here.” 

 

_ A good pianist is never without music!  _

 

I begin to play, and the world melts away. 

 

For all I know, the world could’ve ended, and I wouldn’t have noticed at all. 

 

* * *

 

_ I… really do want to try my hand at writing music, even though the only thing I’ve written was basically a fusion of two other pieces I liked…  _

 

It’s dark outside, and I can’t risk damaging the piano by falling asleep over the keys, so I extract myself from the bench and walk away. 

 

_ So, I think you take a left… and then another left, and look, there’s a vent above your head…  _

 

_ If you don’t figure something out in the next twenty-four hours, you’ve condemned everyone in this building to a slow death by suffocation.  _

 

“You should watch where you’re going.” someone says. I look up from the ground, and realize that I’ve been wandering in circles and almost tripped over Toujou. 

 

_ I’m sorry, I’ve just been distracted… and it’s really cool that you’re so calm, even though…  _

 

“Do you mind if you show me where our bedrooms are?” I ask, for I  _ cannot  _ keep obsessing over my inevitable death, as obsession is going to get me nowhere in figuring out an actual plan. 

 

“I have the entire layout of this building memorized.” she answers, as she gestures for me to follow her. 

 

“Why?” 

 

_ If I keep talking, I won’t think about death.  _

 

“In case we are all trapped here and are cut off from the outside world, I wish to ensure our survival.” Toujou answers, as if she hasn’t realized that that’s our  _ exact  _ situation. “There is enough food in the kitchen for all of us to survive at least a month.” 

 

_ Wait… that’s weird. What’s the point of bringing in that much food if we’re all going to die tomorrow?  _

 

_ Isn’t the most obvious explanation that someone else started the criminal rehabilitation program, and the mastermind just hijacked it?  _

 

“If you want to eat something, I can tell you how to get there.” Toujou says, as we reach my room. 

 

“Thank you, but I’m really tired.” I answer, as I close the door behind me and collapse onto my bed. 

 

* * *

 

_ If I… die today… I want to die with no regrets.  _

 

I have to talk to Rantarou. Even if I achieve nothing else today, I still want to figure out what happened to him and how he ended up in a criminal rehabilitation program. 

 

I storm out of my room and start banging on his door again. I could’ve broken my own hands from all of the knocking, and I wouldn’t have noticed or cared, for I  _ have  _ to see him. 

 

_ Why did you move away? What happened to you? Are you avoiding me?  _

 

“...Kaede?!” he exclaims, as he yanks open the door and almost hits me with it. “What are you doing?!” 

 

“I need to talk to you.” I answer, as I walk into his room. 

 

“Why? I’m not a suspicious person, there’s no reason for you to suspect me of anything, and I did  _ not  _ bring a murderous bear into this building and program him to kill us all in a gas leak! Why would you think that, Kaede?” he asks, and I have no idea if he’s telling me this because he thinks I suspect him or because he  _ wants  _ me to suspect him. 

 

_ It’s like… it’s like he’s acting. It’s like he’s playing a character for all of us to see, but the real him is stuck behind a mask.  _

 

_ Is he acting like this because he thinks this is what he was like when I knew him and he doesn’t want me to see what he turned into?  _

 

_ Rantarou, I wouldn’t hate you…  _

 

“I don’t care about that.” I answer, and his expression darkens a bit. “I just want to know what happened to you since I last saw you.” 

 

_ Listen, if you think that I think you’re a bad person because you committed a crime, I want to tell you that I wouldn’t have become a counselor here if I believed that all criminals are irredeemable.  _

 

_ Unless you think that- _

 

“Don’t you  _ know  _ what happened to me, Kaede?” he asks, and it sounds like he’s on the verge of crying. 

 

“You moved away, didn’t you? But-” 

 

Before I can finish my sentence, he grabs my hand and drags me into a closet. 

 

* * *

 

“There are cameras here recording our every move, and I don’t want to put you at risk.” Rantarou says, after he closes the door behind him and walks towards me. 

 

“How do you know this?” I blurt out. 

 

“I’ve been in one of these games before.” he answers. 

 

_ That… would explain his behavior, for he’s been trapped in one of these games before and probably thought that he’d escaped from them…  _

 

_ Wait, but he did escape. How did he do that?  _

 

“What Monobear didn’t tell you is that once someone dies, he conducts a sort of show-trial and forces everyone who’s alive to figure out who committed the murder.” Rantarou continues, as he begins to pace around the closet. “If you figure out who did it, he executes the killer, but if you don’t figure out who did it, he kills everyone else.” 

 

“How did you escape?” I ask, mostly because I can’t think of anything else to say. No matter what happens today, multiple people are going to die, and I don’t want to accidentally say something offensive… 

 

“Kaede, you have all right to hate me. You should hate me.” he answers, but that’s  _ not  _ an answer and I hope I didn’t accidentally traumatize him. 

 

“Why would I hate you, Rantarou?” I ask, but he doesn’t seem to have heard me, for he’s staring into space and seems to be trapped inside his own head. 

 

_ I… did I expect to be dealing with things like this? I knew him before, but I don’t think knowing him before is going to help me break him out of his own head…  _

 

“If you still want an answer, someone kidnapped me two years ago and that’s why my parents moved away.” he begins, as he grabs onto a shelf. “Kaede… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be alive right now…” 

 

_ Why did no one tell me?  _

 

_ Why am I thinking about myself at a time like this?  _

 

“Why are you apologizing for being kidnapped? No one’s responsible for their own kidnapping!” I exclaim, as I turn towards him and try to help him up, for he seems to be in the midst of collapsing. 

 

“I killed fifteen people to save myself.” he answers, and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. 

 

_ That’s… why you’re here, isn’t it?  _

 

I could say something. I should say something, but there’s absolutely nothing I can think of that’d be remotely appropriate to this situation. 

 

_ I wanted to find out the truth, and I did… but the truth was that his personality changed because he was kidnapped and trapped in the same mutual-killing game we’re currently stuck in, and I just ended up traumatizing him…  _

 

_ Wait, if he’s been in another one of these games before, that means that he knows more about how they work than the rest of us… and I have an idea.  _

 

_ I’m sorry…  _

 

* * *

 

_ This plan… could work, or it could go horribly wrong… and it all hinges on…  _

“How many cameras are there?” I ask, for we can’t get delayed breaking cameras and doom everyone to a slow death by suffocation. 

“We can break all of them before tomorrow.” Rantarou answers, as he walks towards me. 

_ That’s good… and once we break all of them, we’ll go to the kitchen, and… _

 

“Besides, they’ll just think that we got caught in a compromising position and wanted to destroy all evidence of that ever happening.” he quips, and I can’t help but laugh. 

_ For a second… you were like your old self…  _

“I mean, we did just spend all this time together in a closet.” I add, and he begins to smile. 

_ I want you to be like this… I want you to be happy, and stop hating yourself…  _

“We have… nine hours, so there’s definitely enough time to pull this off…” he rambles, as he pulls a bottle of nail polish out of his pocket. 

“Where’d you get that from?” I ask, for it’s such a random item. 

“I think Shirogane dropped it, but I found it on the floor last night and decided to keep it.” Rantarou answers, as he takes my hand. “Do you want me to paint your nails, Kaede?” 

“Why not?” 

_ Let’s just have… one last moment of normalcy… before we stop everything.  _


	4. Chapter 4

_ The room in this building which’d have the highest concentration of gas would be one that’s small, near a vent, and has a door… so I just have to find a closet, close the door behind me, and stand under the vent…  _

 

_ You could’ve used this time to figure out who turned this program into a killing game, and instead you’re wallowing in your own self-pity. Have you tried not selfishly indulging your own pain?  _

 

Every investigation I’ve ever conducted convicted the wrong person. If I were to investigate the school, I’d probably end up accusing someone completely innocent of trapping us all here, and let the real mastermind go free. 

 

_ I am… for lack of a better word, the most prolific serial killer in the country, but the only way I could be caught was through outside interference, as I used the legal system to murder people…  _

 

There’s a corpse in front of me. It’s of a teenage girl with blonde hair who was stabbed in the chest, and her blood stains the floor and my shoes and my clothes, for I still instinctively investigate crime scenes… 

 

_ Wait, isn’t it impossible for her… that doesn’t matter and it’s probably wrong and… isn’t this Akamatsu?!  _

 

The corpse has painted nails and music-note hairpins and a skirt filled with music notes as well, so it’s definitely Akamatsu, as no one else in this building would wear her clothes and I never thought that she would be the first of us to die… 

 

_ Everything you think is wrong, okay?! If only you’d accepted that earlier…  maybe you wouldn’t have so much blood on your hands…  _

 

Akamatsu Kaede is dead and yesterday I listened to her create beauty with the piano and I don’t think she’s ever been involved with crime before coming here and she didn’t judge me for passing out when I got here, but  _ none  _ of that matters now… 

 

_ It’s always the good people who die, isn’t it? Meanwhile, people like you live, even when they shouldn’t.  _

 

_ When did she get her nails painted? Why do I care about minor details when she’s dead and I’m not reacting in a remotely appropriate manner?! What’s wrong with me?! Why am I thinking about myself when Akamatsu just died?! _

 

Bells are ringing and people are approaching and Akamatsu is dead and if I investigate I’ll kill someone innocent but I if I don’t investigate I’ll become an accomplice to a murderer and all of my investigations were fake so there is  _ nothing  _ I can do that would be useful… 

 

“A body had been discovered! After a brief period of investigation, we will commence our trial!” 

 

“You murderer….” 

 

“Why did you kill Akamatsu?!” 

 

* * *

 

_ I didn’t… I couldn’t have killed Akamatsu, I didn’t even see her today…  _

 

_ You are aware that you’ve killed someone before yet don’t remember killing them? Therefore, it’s fully possible that you killed her, blocked out the memory of killing her, and tried to kill yourself out of guilt…  _

 

_ Except… that’s not important. I’m not important.  _

 

Akamatsu was stabbed, and since no one’s allowed to bring weapons here, her killer must’ve gotten a knife from the kitchen. As I know that this building has a kitchen, I could’ve killed her and repressed my own memories out of guilt. 

 

_ Wait… since most people didn’t wander the building, that narrows the suspect list down to everyone who knows this building has a kitchen… but you have no idea where anyone was, so that deduction was completely useless and would’ve executed someone innocent.  _

 

I’m standing in an elevator. How did I get here? Was I so lost in my thoughts that I completely blocked out everything around me? Since all of my thoughts are wrong, shouldn’t I pay more attention to my surroundings? 

 

_ Everyone around you wants to execute you, so… it’s like trapping yourself in an echo-chamber.  _

 

The elevator falls, before opening its doors to a trial room with sixteen chairs inside. One of the chairs is occupied by a robotic bear who looks like someone squished half a white bear and half a black bear together, and another chair is occupied by a portrait of Akamatsu. 

 

_ So… fourteen chairs for fourteen people. Therefore, the mastermind is probably one of us, for what better place to hide yourself than amongst your victims?  _

 

_ Why are you thinking about that?! The mastermind’s using Monobear as a mask, so it doesn’t matter if they’re hiding in the crowd! Nothing you think matters!  _

 

“Upuppupupuuu… welcome to your first trial! Once you’ve figured out who did it, spin the dial in front of you to vote!” he exclaims, before pulling a cord and disappearing behind a curtain. 

 

* * *

 

“Since we seem to all agree on who the murderer is, why don’t we vote now and get this over with?” Ouma asks, and I have no idea if I should agree with him or challenge him, as I  _ could’ve  _ murdered Akamatsu and blocked out the memory of doing so. 

 

“I don’t think blindly accusing people of murder is going to work.” Momota answers. “Do we even have any evidence that he did it, or are we just pointing fingers at random people?” 

 

_ Okay… from their perspective, I’m a recluse who wanders around buildings for no reason and happened to stumble upon a corpse… and since they all seemed to show up at the same time, that means that they were all together and had no idea where I was.  _

 

_ So therefore…  _

 

“He was the last person Akamatsu interacted with! Isn’t that enough evidence?!” Iruma exclaims.

 

_ Wait… was I?  _

 

_ Wouldn’t the last person Akamatsu interacted with be the person who painted her nails?  _

 

“Just because we found him next to her body doesn’t mean that he killed her. He could’ve been trying to help her…” Gokuhara says, and I don’t know if I should bring up the point about Akamatsu’s nails, for I’ll just come off as self-serving… 

 

_ Shirogane has nail polish; I saw it in her bag… but why would Akamatsu seek out Shirogane?  _

 

_ She’s a friendly person and wants to see the best in everyone. Why wouldn’t she seek out an introvert who wants to hide their true self from the world?  _

 

“Wouldn’t someone helpful introduce themselves to us?” Shirogane asks, as she turns towards me. “He’s the only person here whose name we don’t know….” 

 

_ If it makes you feel better, my name is Saihara Shuuichi and I didn’t kill anyone… or at least I think I didn’t…  _

 

_ My name is Saihara Shuuichi and I’m not a murderer! Why can’t you just say that?!  _

 

“Knowing someone’s name has nothing to do with their innocence.” Harukawa says, and my throat is clogged with words. “Wouldn’t it be more important to know where Akamatsu’s killer got a knife from, as we were all banned from bringing weapons here?” 

 

_ That’s odd… and why didn’t I think of that?!  _

 

_ You already thought about that and dismissed it as irrelevant!  _

 

* * *

 

“If we’re going to bring Akamatsu’s killer to justice, we’ll have to stop talking about who we saw near the body, and figure out which of us snuck a knife into this building.” Hoshi answers, and I  _ want  _ to say something, but there are hands grabbing my throat and strangling me… 

 

“If any of you had weapons, I would’ve automatically confiscated them.” Ki-bo says. 

 

_ We’re back to the kitchen… and I don’t recall running into anyone else while I was wandering the building, so who among us would be likely to visit the kitchen?  _

 

_ Toujou… um, and Amami, maybe? He strikes me as the sort of person who seems incredibly evasive… but I could be wrong.  _

 

_ I probably am wrong.  _

 

“There are enough knives inside the kitchen to equip an army.” Toujou quips, so  _ part  _ of my deduction was right. 

 

“So maybe Kaede isn’t actually dead and is hiding inside the fridge!” Yumeno exclaims, and  _ if only  _ that was true and this game was all one elaborate prank. 

 

“Angie thinks that no one truly dies, for after death everyone becomes one with God!”

 

“No, she’s actually dead. I licked her blood, and it tasted coppery.” Amami quips, and everyone turns towards him. 

 

_ How can he say that so casually?!  _

 

_ Wait, if he… did that, and no one else claims to have seen it, that means he saw Akamatsu before me.  _

 

_ Akamatsu also wanted to see him, for she was banging on his door for the entirely of the past two mornings. She also knew him before she came here, so that gives her a reason to see him…  _

 

“Did you lick her blood before or after-” Chabashira begins, before I cut her off. 

 

“Um… I’m sorry to interrupt, but did anyone see Amami licking Akamatsu’s blood?” 

 

* * *

 

“Tenko didn’t, but what does that prove? You’re just trying to deflect blame off of yourself!” Chabashira exclaims, and maybe that’s just what I’m doing… 

 

“I was supposedly the first person who saw Akamatsu’s corpse, and I was next to her the whole time. Since I  _ also  _ didn’t see Amami, doesn’t that mean that he was with Akamatsu before me?” I ask, and my hands are grabbing the back of my chair like a lifeline. 

 

_ I’m not going to faint. I can’t faint…  _

 

“Also, did you paint Akamatsu’s nails?” I ask as I turn towards Amami, and he nods. 

 

_ So, therefore, he’s probably her killer… except why would he kill her?  _

 

_ Because he didn’t want anyone to see who he’d become? Except that doesn’t make sense…  _

 

“What I don’t understand is how your fixation on minor details is going to bring Akamatsu’s killer to justice.” Hoshi says, and I  _ cannot  _ lose myself in my own mind. “Isn’t more likely that you’re implicating someone innocent?!”

 

_ That’s how… no, don’t fall inside your own head, you cannot let yourself be crushed under the weight of your own memories…  _

 

“I don’t think wanting to know everything about the crime scene is a sign that he’s framing Amami.” Toujou answers, and I need to say something before I fall inside my head again. 

 

“Um… since Amami was alone with Akamatsu for enough time to paint her nails and also was mostly likely the first of to interact with her corpse, isn’t it more likely that he’s her killer?” I ramble, and I sound like I’m making up a story to frame an innocent. 

 

_ There’s no forensic equipment here… otherwise you would’ve instantly figured out the killer. Yet DNA can be faked…  _

 

“Now that you mention that, he  _ did  _ mention that he was caught up in something near the kitchen, and that’s why we all showed up at the same time.” Momota answers. 

 

“So should we vote now?” Shirogane asks, and everyone nods. 

 

_ Please… tell me I did the right thing… that I didn’t frame another innocent person for a murder I committed…  _

 

* * *

 

“Uupupupu… you are correct! Amami Rantarou killed Akamatsu Kaede! Now, onto the execution!” Monobear exclaims, as he reappears from behind the curtain. 

 

“Isn’t it counterproductive for a rehabilitation program to have executions?” Ki-bo asks. 

 

“The person who brought you all here thought that murderers could be redeemed, and look at how wrong he was!” 

 

_ So… Monobear is being piloted by one of us… but who? What happened to the person who brought us all here?  _

 

“You were going to poison us if we didn’t kill anyone!” Iruma exclaims.

 

“That doesn’t mean I caused Akamatsu’s death! I’m not responsible for anything that happens to any of you!” Monobear exclaims, as he grabs Amami and drags him onto a stage, which is filled with guns.

 

“Your execution begins now!” 

 

The guns start firing, and Amami inexplicably dodges every single bullet, even as the floor disappears from below his feet. 

 

As he falls to his death, he is smiling. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, sorry that this chapter is late... I've been busy and my beta's laptop is getting repaired, so I hope you don't mind a slower update rate for the next few chapters. 
> 
> And I hope you've enjoyed reading. :)

_Why? Why was he smiling?_

 

Something about this case feels wrong, and I’m not sure what it is. It’s like there’s a single thread out of place, and if I pull it, everything’ll fall apart.

 

_It’s because there’s no motive… isn’t it? You have a theory, but Amami never said why he did it, or even attempted to defend himself, come to think of it…_

 

_So… maybe he wanted to commit suicide without getting us all killed by poisonous gas? But why would he kill Akamatsu if his end goal was to commit suicide?_

 

_Why does it matter what you think, since all of your theories are wrong?_

 

I’m standing in an elevator, and there’s no one near me.

 

_How long have I been lost in my head and occupied by my nonsensical theories?! I need to go to sleep, and then I’ll remember that I am not someone who should be trusted with crime scenes…_

 

I walk down the hall and open the door to my room. For some reason, it’s completely dark inside, but I probably turned the lights off and forgot that I did so.

 

“This might’ve been a bad idea…”

 

_Who said that?!_

 

_Have I gotten so lost in my own head that I’m hearing voices?!_

 

I turn the lights on, and Akamatsu Kaede is sitting on my bed, even though that isn’t possible, for she’s _dead…_

 

_Are you a ghost?! Am I hallucinating you?! Are you here to haunt me because I got someone innocent killed again and Monobear just kept the rest of us alive because he’s going to kill us tomorrow morning and wanted to bait us with hope?_

 

“Why are you here?” I finally ask, as I sit next to her on the bed. Her hand brushes against mine, and it’s warm, so therefore she probably isn’t dead, but how is that possible?

 

_That’s… the oddity in the case, isn’t it? Amami faked her death, for some reason, because he wanted to kill himself without killing anyone else with him…_

 

“Rantarou and I… made a plan to bring down the mastermind, and I thought you could help me…” she answers, as if she’s read my mind.

 

“Why?”

 

_Of everyone in this building, why would you want someone who used the legal system to murder people to help you?_

 

_I killed Amami because I misinterpreted a crime scene, so what makes you think that I wouldn’t kill anyone else?_

 

“No one pays attention to the dead.” she quips, and she misinterpreted my question, but I don’t want to betray her trust in me. “I thought that… if we faked one of our deaths, that person could investigate the building and figure out who the mastermind was without anyone suspecting them.”

 

_You intended for Amami to live, didn’t you?_

 

_Why would I think that?! Why would I ask her that?!_

 

“...since you seemed to be really observant, I thought that you could help me, Saihara.” she rambles, and I haven’t noticed anything that could possibly be helpful, so she’d be better off with a block of wood as an assistant.

 

“Have you noticed anything?” I ask, for she’s probably discovered more than I could ever find.

 

“I heard some noises in Toujou’s room, but that’s really it.”

 

“You can hear people through the doors?”

 

_She is a pianist, so her hearing would be better than the average person’s…_

 

“I was actually in a vent, but I’m flattered that you think that.” Akamatsu quips, and for some reason, I am smiling.

 

* * *

 

_Akamatsu Kaede is alive… or maybe it was all a dream…_

 

I open my eyes, and there is no one else in my room except for me. Therefore, it is fully possible that I imagined her, and-

 

“You own a lot of hats.” she says, as she walks out of my closet with a hat on. “Do you mind if I borrow one?”

 

“No, I don’t…” I answer, as I get out of bed. “Why aren’t you…”

 

_Why would she be staying in her own room?! If anyone heard noises from there, they’d find it odd and would probably investigate. And no one’s going to assume that there’s an undead person hiding in my closet…_

 

_Besides, isn’t it possible that they boarded up her room?_

 

“I played the piano a bit last night.” she admits, and I wasn’t going to ask her why she wasn’t staying in the room as I don’t remember hearing any weird noises, so I must’ve actually _slept…_

 

“Isn’t that going to make people suspect that you’re alive?” I blurt out, and immediately regret it.

 

_I’m sorry! I just… don’t want the mastermind to figure out that you’re still alive, and kill you…_

 

“I guess… but I can’t live without music, so I thought that no one would hear me…” she responds, and her voice is tinged with guilt because of me.

 

“I’ll find a way to make you a piano.”

 

_If I found some paper and a marker, I could just draw Akamatsu a paper piano, so she could have music without noise… but would she just assume that it was a useless attempt at forgiveness, for music is a collection of beautiful sounds?_

 

“You really don’t have to, Saihara. I don’t want to impede your plans for today.”

 

“I wasn’t planning on doing anything today.” I answer, as I sit down on my bed and try to figure out which room would have the most paper in it that’s not a bathroom.

 

“Do you…” she begins, before realization sets in on her face. “Why haven’t you interacted with anyone else here?”

 

_How does she know that?!_

 

_Why wouldn’t Akamatsu know that? She has exceptionally good hearing and was able to hear noises in Toujou’s room from the vent, so why wouldn’t she be able to overhear the trial or people gossiping about you?_

 

“I don’t think they’d really care about me…” I answer, for I can’t leave her question unanswered.

 

“You saved all of their lives, Saihara!”

 

_I got an innocent person killed! I killed your friend! Why would anyone want to know a murderer?!_

 

“Besides, if you keep yourself locked in here you’ll eventually go crazy.” she quips, and her voice is so earnest that I can’t help but acquiesce to her desires, and think that they might not be horrible ideas.

 

* * *

 

_I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t…_

 

I am walking down a hallway which feeds into a cafeteria. There is a table that’s surrounded by sixteen chairs, and five of them seem to be empty.

 

_So… I’m not the only person here who avoids others, but…_

 

_If I tried to seek out someone who didn’t want to be found, they would hate me._

 

“Saihara Shuuichi has entered this room,” Ki-bo remarks as I step across the doorway, and I feel like I’m being crushed under the weight of everyone’s stares.

 

“Took you long enough.” Hoshi quips, as I try to walk towards a chair without passing out again.

 

_If I… act like I’m not a bad person, I can pretend that… no, that’s a horrible idea, you’re just going be deluding yourself again, and someone else is going to die because of you…_

 

The nearest empty chair seems to be between Iruma and Momota, so I collapse into it and hope that it’s not too obvious that I’m on the verge of passing out again.

 

_Stay calm… no one here knows anything about you, okay? They won’t hate you… except that just means that I’m deceiving them by existing._

 

“I’m sorry I accused you of murder!” Iruma exclaims, as she springs out of her chair and hugs me. “You’re not that bad… you’re actually kind of adorable…”

 

_You’re… crushing my lungs…_

 

“I doubt he’s going to want to come back if you suffocate him.” Harukawa remarks.

 

_I’m actually fine… I guess, don’t worry about me… I was expecting this to happen yesterday, so I shouldn’t care at all…_

 

“Iruma, I don’t think you should do anything that could hurt Saihara.” Gokuhara says, and I’m torn between agreeing with him and Harukawa or telling them that everything’s fine and they shouldn’t worry about me.

 

_And… what else could I say? That Akamatsu is alive but someone here is the mastermind, so I can’t tell any of you that because it’d get her killed before she figures out who locked us all in here?_

 

_I’m sorry…_

 

“So, we’re just missing Ouma and… Toujou?” Momota asks as he surveys the table, and my vision’s stopped blurring, so Iruma probably let go of me while I was lost in my head.

 

“It is out of character for her to be late.” Shirogane quips, and I hope everything’s fine…

 

_“I heard some noises in Toujou’s room.”_

 

_Akamatsu, I hope you weren’t a witness to her murder…_

 

“I can summon her!” Yumeno exclaims, as she brandishes her wand at the ceiling. “Summon Toujou for me!”

 

“Himiko, we could just walk to her room and get her.” Chabashira says.

 

“I don’t want to walk. I can fly when I have more MP.”

 

“...Tenko can pick you up.” Chabashira says, as she scoops Yumeno into her arms and walks down the hallway.

 

“Oh, Angie wants to come too!” Yonaga exclaims, as she runs after them.

 

_I hope the three of you don’t stumble upon Toujou’s body… and I hope that none of you stumble upon Akamatsu._

 

_I don’t suspect any of you, but if the mastermind overhears you… or if they overheard Akamatsu playing the piano last night…_

 

“Saihara, are you alright?” Momota asks.

 

Before I can answer, a bloodcurdling scream stops my train of thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... sorry that this update took so long. Again. And sorry if the chapter comes off as rushed... 
> 
> But, since my schoolwork load got a lot heavier, I'm going to have less time to write, so I probably won't be able to write or update as often. 
> 
> Sorry. 
> 
> But, I will finish this fic.

 

“A body had been discovered! After a brief period of investigation, we will commence our trial!” 

 

_ So… someone murdered Toujou in her room… but since all of the doors apparently lock the second they close, that means that she invited the murderer into her room… or maybe everything I’m thinking is wrong and something completely different happened…  _

 

_ I hope they didn’t find Akamatsu…  _

 

“We’re going to have to go through that trial bullshit again?!” Hoshi exclaims, as Chabashira, Yumeno, and Yonaga reappear in the cafeteria. 

 

“I wish that I had enough EXP to revive her.” Yumeno says, and this could refer to anyone female… 

 

“Angie hopes that Kirumi is happy in heaven with Kaede and Rantarou…” Yonaga says, and I am running down the hallway and wrenching open Toujou’s door, for Akamatsu  _ was _ an accidental witness to this murder. 

 

_ The door’s unlocked… so someone had to have deliberately left it unlocked… or the killer forgot to relock it after they finished killing her?  _

 

Toujou is lying on the floor, and glass covers her body. There’s an overturned clock near her as well, but it doesn’t display any sort of time. 

 

_ So… there was a struggle, and Akamatsu overheard it… but why would Toujou invite someone to her room who’d kill her? She doesn’t strike me as the sort of person who’d do that… unless she was blinded by emotion or revenge, maybe?  _

 

_ Why am I even investigating this crime scene?! My last investigation and every investigation before got innocent people killed, and I can’t risk murdering any more people… and I know literally nothing about this crime.  _

 

There are small cuts on Toujou’s face and glass is  _ in  _ her eyes, so her murderer probably hit her on the head with a glass object, which was probably what Akamatsu overheard… but I can’t risk talking to her and having the mastermind discover her. 

 

“Saihara, the trial’s about to begin.” Harukawa says, but where did she come from? How did she get here? 

 

“Monobear sent me to get you.” she continues, as if she’s read my mind. “He’s incredibly delighted about how he doesn’t need to provide us motives to get us to kill each other anymore.” 

 

She grabs my hand and drags me into the elevator, and I feel like I’m falling to my death. 

 

* * *

 

“Uupuppuuu… isn’t it lovely when criminals revert to their natural characters?” Monobear asks when we arrive in the trial room. “It makes my job so much easier!” 

 

“Can you just skip ahead to your bullshit trial  _ without  _ berating everyone?!” Hoshi exclaims.

 

_ Is he usually this angry?  _

 

_ Then again, this is the second time we’ve done this in the past twelve hours, so it’d be expected for everyone to be a little on edge. Not everything is a sign of guilt, you know…  _

 

“...um, so I guess we should start with what we did last time?” Momota asks, and I can’t go off on wild tangents again and kill another innocent person. 

 

“So you’re saying that we execute Saihara?” Ouma asks. “I think that’s a great idea!” 

 

_ I really hope you’re being sarcastic… but if you’re an evil mastermind who wants to take over Japan, wouldn’t you want to eliminate anyone who could get in your way?  _

 

_ But I would only help him, because I only convict the innocent.  _

 

“Out of character behavior is a sign of deception.” Shirogane remarks. “Isn’t it weird that he chose to see us today, when he’s locked himself in his room every other day? It’s almost like he’s trying to get us to trust him…” 

 

“So you’re saying that he killed Toujou before he saw us this morning?!” Chabashira exclaims.

 

_ The murder wasn’t this morning! It was sometime yesterday… but I know this because Akamatsu overheard it, and I can’t reveal her to Monobear…  _

 

“Tenko, it’s not nice to accuse people of murder without evidence.” Yumeno chides, and I have to say something. I can’t obscure the truth and lead everyone down a false road, just like I did in every single other case… 

 

“Actually, it’s more likely that the murder was yesterday evening.” I say. 

 

* * *

 

“How do you know this?” Harukawa asks, and I need to come with a plausible reason that  _ doesn’t  _ involve Akamatsu. 

 

“I’m an insomniac, so I was wandering around the hallway and heard some noises from Toujou’s room.” I blurt out, and no one is going to believe me because it’s impossible for anyone’s hearing to be that good even while witnessing a confrontation, and I just pulled something random out of thin air… 

 

_ You’re still lying, you know? You may have a slightly more noble motive for lying, but you’re still a liar…  _

 

“Angie wishes that she prayed for Kirumi’s safety after the trial…” Yonaga says, and I don’t know if I was able to convince anyone. 

 

“He could be lying.” Harukawa quips, and I need to steer this trial onto the crime scene, but I know absolutely nothing about the murder and I’m not sure if my death  _ would  _ be a horrible outcome. 

 

_ If you die, everyone else except for Akamatsu and Toujou’s killer die as well, so you’re essentially killing people out of selfishness.  _

 

“The polygraph is not displaying results.” Ki-bo says. 

 

“Ah… would it be better for us to discuss the actual crime scene instead of our locations?” Gokuhara asks. “That was how we found the answer, last time…” 

 

_ No, that was how we killed an innocent person. But if we get onto that subject, fewer innocent people are likely to die…  _

 

“I think you’re right.” Momota answers. “Does anyone remember what they saw?” 

 

_ Her body was covered in broken glass, and she was most likely hit on the head… and there was probably a confrontation.  _

 

“Toujou’s killer hit her with a clock.” Chabashira says, and she’s glaring at me. 

 

“Wouldn’t a paperweight be more dangerous than a clock?” Hoshi asks, and there’s something odd about his claim… 

 

_ How did he figure out that the glass in her room was a paperweight… when he didn’t even see the crime scene?  _

 

_ Unless… but why would he kill her? Why would Toujou invite him to her room?  _

 

“How did you know that it was a paperweight?” I ask. 

 

“It was lying on the floor, wasn’t it?” 

 

“No, but her body was covered in glass when I found it.” I answer. “How did you figure out where all of the glass came from without seeing the crime scene?” 

 

_ I can’t accuse another innocent person… please, let me be right…  _

 

“Since he’s unresponsive, I think we should vote now.” someone says, but I am lost in my head. 

 

* * *

 

“Drumroll please… and you’re correct! Hoshi Ryouma killed Toujou Kirumi!” 

 

“You killed her for  _ absolutely  _ no reason?!” Iruma exclaims, as she tries to lunge towards Hoshi. 

 

“What was I supposed to do?!” he answers. “She fabricated crime scenes for the mafia and got innocent people executed! That’s why she’s here!” 

 

_ She… Toujou… that’s where her observational skills come from, don’t they? And I am no better than her… _

 

_ If she deserves to die for her crimes, then so do I… for both of us are forgers.  _

 

There’s an execution running and it’s Hoshi’s but it should be  _ mine _ , for I have committed the most crimes out of everyone in this room and I only got lucky with his slip-up this time… and why am I alive? 

 

_ Why did he, in his vigilantism, not notice the detective with a perfect success rate who was actually only killing the innocent? Why did nobody notice that I was a liar until I was actually tried for murder?  _

 

_ Why did I never notice that all of my investigations were fake until I was accused of murder?  _

 

“Saihara… are you alright?” someone asks as they tap my shoulder. 

 

“Yes, I’m fine.” I answer, as I come back to my senses and realize that Momota’s standing next to me. 

 

_ Don’t concern yourself with my life… I don’t want to burden you.  _

 

“You were staring into space after the trial ended.” he remarks, as he drags me into the elevator. 


End file.
